Shawn Garvin

Shawn M. Garvin was confirmed by the Delaware State Senate March 15, 2017 as Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, taking office immediately afterward as a member of Governor John Carney’s cabinet. Mr. Garvin is the 11th secretary since 1970 to lead the state department tasked with protecting and managing the state’s natural resources, protecting public health, providing outdoor recreational opportunities and educating Delawareans about the environment.

Secretary Garvin's career in intergovernmental affairs spans more than 20 years at the federal and local levels. In November 2009, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Administrator of Region III for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), overseeing the agency’s work in the Mid-Atlantic, which includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

Before he was named Regional Administrator, Secretary Garvin served as the senior state and congressional liaison for EPA Region III, providing counsel to agency leadership on complex public health and environmental matters. Prior to his service with the EPA, he served as an aide to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden, and also was Executive Assistant to former New Castle County Executive Dennis Greenhouse.

Secretary Garvin is a Delaware native and graduate of the University of Delaware.